


Fate's Bite

by Rikai



Category: Original Work
Genre: Dragons, Original work - Freeform, Other, space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25232050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikai/pseuds/Rikai
Summary: The world is falling apart, wolves roam the streets and cruel men rule the lower sections of the city. A pair of teens meet in the harsh underworld and it changes both lives rather drastically.Original work, not a fanfic
Kudos: 2





	1. Breaking bonds

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the hot mess I am writing, feel free to let me know if I have typos or the like. :D First time posting something I have written online, I hope it is interesting for those few people that will find this.

The sound of labored panting echoed as a teen raced through the streets, limping on a badly bleeding left leg as he stumbled over trash and other bits of debris that littered the back alleys of a dark, poorly lit city. He struggled down a narrow side street, ducking into a small hole, pressing himself against the wall. He fought to keep his breath quiet as he waited to hear the sounds of his pursuers run passed, cursing at his escape. He sighed before he looked to his leg, wincing in pain as he pulled up the pant leg to look at the mangled flesh that hid beneath. He hissed as he struggled back to his feet, slipping from the hole and continuing on his way for sometime before ducking into another hole, slightly losing his footing as he made his way down. Biting back a cry of pain, he stood once again, walking around a corner and glanced upon a badly beaten girl close to his age, though the dirt and grime that covered her face made it hard to discern an accurate age. 

“Are you okay?” She asked, her voice was weak and clearly strained with exhaustion.

The young male nodded, limping over to her, pulling a small pack off his back and sitting next to her on the makeshift bed. “I got some stuff we can use to get you bandaged up. Once you’re all set, we can head out.” He pulled out some white cloth, fairly clean compared to everything around them, and tore it into smaller strips, “Let me see your legs, those ones are the most sore, right?”

The girl nodded, shifting with pain showing clearly on her features, “After you’re done, let’s rest for a bit. You look ready to fall over.”

The teen nodded, stretching his partner's leg out as he began to wrap some of the more swollen and red looking wounds, “That’s a good idea. We can’t take long though. We are being hunted and if those bastards figure out my chip’s signal then I’m done.”

“I know, Riley, I know but we aren’t going to make it far if you collapse. I can’t walk with these injuries.” 

“Yeah, I can’t argue that either,” Riley sighed, he was ready to pass out. He wasn’t fairing well from the blood loss and what he was sure was an infection brewing in the limb. “At least I’m the one that got bit. I don’t think you need another bite, even if a wolf bite might be ‘nicer’ in a sense,” Riley chuckled darkly, there wasn’t anything good about the situation they were in. Trapped, enemies on all sides, even the buildings are against them, ready to crumble with the wind if it blew too hard. 

“Give me the rest of that, I’ll wrap your leg. At least that will help with the bleeding,” The girl sighed, “We don’t need more wolves finding us.”

“Rika…. I planned to use the rest of this to help with your other nasty wounds….” Riley muttered.

“The bites there can deal, we can use some of the stuff we are using as blankets. Your leg needs to be properly wrapped, or as close as I can get it to,” Rika stated softly yet sternly, not inviting any argument. 

Riley bowed his head, clearly not interested in fighting a battle that he knew was pointless. She had a point, however much he disagreed. Being injured was a normal thing for him and he didn’t really have an issue, the girl he was with though, she was from the main section of the city. Where people gave a damn about others, instead of people being used as tools, beaten and broken then tossed to the wolves to keep them calm another day. She deserved everything he could to get her home with as few scarring injuries as possible but she seemed to value his life, one that had no meaning in the eyes of those that lived in the filthy streets. Riley couldn’t fathom having any value to anyone, not even himself, and to be treated in any manner aside a stern beating was odd but not unpleasant, as if he had a reason to think of such a thing as they are running for their lives.

He watched as she wrapped his wound, making him feel guilty. She was clearly better at it then he was and compared to the job he did, her’s was perfect. He was thankful Rika didn’t have to walk with her bandages because Riley was certain they would fall from her legs, leaving her sore bites to rub on one another, adding to the painful wounds.

“Alright, lay down, I’ll keep watch,” Rika whispered as she shifted on the makeshift bed, leaving room for Riley to lay down and rest. “I’ll wake you in a while.” She smiled, as Riley curled up, quickly drifted off to sleep. 

It was a deep but restless sleep, nightmares plaguing his mind. He woke with a start, sitting up, staring at the dark room. Rika stirred next to him, “Sleep, we can move at first light. You have a fever, we need to hurry otherwise we won’t make it.” Rika’s voice was weaker sounding than before. They had been playing a sick game of tag for almost two days now, neither had food or water and little in the way of sleep. 

“No, let’s go. I doubt those bastards are out.”

“The wolves will be out.”

“But-”

“You’re not gonna win another fight like this,” Rika shifted, pushing Riley back down, “Sleep, they can’t get in here, I shut the entrance.”

“Why did you get up?”

“I… I had to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh…” Riley looked up at Rika, he couldn’t see her in the dark but he could tell she was above him still by the weight he felt on his chest, her hand was quite warm, even through his shirt. “You have a fever too.”

“I know now sleep.” 

Riley sighed before doing as he was told. Rika was right about traveling at night, even so, he knew they were running out of time. He knew he didn’t have long left before he ran out of strength and Rika didn’t know how to get around the city either so he was her only hope of making it home. Rika curled up to him, shivering, Riley rolled over and pulled her close to try and warm her up but she winced. He inwardly flinched, knowing that there wasn’t much on her that wasn’t beaten. He wondered what would have happened had they not met when they did. Would her assailants have killed her once they finished? Or would they have kept her till she broke? Neither one was a good way to go but it was the norm in the hell of the rotting city.

He wasn’t sure when he slipped into the realm of sleep but it was far more peaceful then what he had gotten earlier. He opened his eyes to a slight glow of light from the outside world. He shifted, crawling over Rika as best he could before he stood, almost falling over as his injured leg touched the ground. He had to stifle a scream of pain as it ran up his spine, making it hard to breath for a moment before he adjusted. He hissed before he made his way from their hiding place and peaked out into the damp alley. He saw no signs of other humans and thankfully, wolves. Quickly, he returned to find Rika sitting up, trying and failing to bind her chest. Riley cringed as he looked at the wounds before he walked over to help her wrap cloth around her chest, Rika making as little noise as possible as they worked even though he felt her flinch and wince as he pulled everything tight. 

“Think you can walk to the entrance? I don’t think I can carry you out.”

Rika looked to him before nodding, “Yeah, can you help me up though?”

Riley stood himself, reaching a hand out and then pulling Rika to her feet as gently as he could before they made their way out. Rika had wrapped a scrap of cloth around herself, covering what she could before she wrapped her arms around Riley’s neck as he picked her up. He waited for her to lean into his back, knowing it had to be painful. “Ready for me to stand?”

“Yes,” She muttered, burying her face into his shoulder, clearly fighting to not tense up as Riley stood and her body settled against him.

“Sleep if you need to,” Riley limped down the alley, carefully as he made his way through the city, listening to the world around him, hoping to hear danger before it got close enough that he couldn’t hide or run. 

The sun was more than half way through the sky by time he reached the area he was aiming for. Rika had woken from her nap some time earlier and had been trying to help keep watch. “This area is controlled by your father right?” Rika hummed in response as she nodded. Riley could tell she was not doing well, he felt her body continue to heat up as he walked and it was worrying him. “Then we can find someone to help us.” Riley sighed, it was a great relief to know help was close to them, a few more steps and they would have someone ease the burden of their escape. Riley wanted to pick up his pace but a sound caught his attention, something was clicking, like nails on a stone floor, a sound that made Riley’s stomach drop to his feet. Wolves, somewhere around one of these many corners was a pack of toothed nightmares. Ready to tear their flesh from their bones, ready to devour them, leaving just scraps of bone behind. 

He quickly began to walk faster, trying to locate where the sound was echoing from. He couldn’t let them catch up but he could hear their feet as they neared them. The rhythmic sound of their nails clicking away on the concrete below their feet. He knew they were close but help had to be within reach. Riley finally stopped, putting Rika down as he turned to face her, “Run and find someone. Be as quick as you can.” He pulled a pair of daggers from his waist line, both well worn, dull metal. Their edges chipped as Riley raised them, looking back the way they came.

Rika looked as though she was going to protest, but then she seemed to realize why she was being told to run, “Don’t die, I’ll bring back help.” She started off, limping heavy but fighting to keep a decent pace.

“Don’t bother,” Riley muttered, keeping an eye on her till she was out of sight. He had little faith that he would still be breathing by time she returned and honestly, he was fine with that. Death would end the suffering he lived with day in and out. It would be the permanent solution to an otherwise lifelong issue. He gritted his teeth as the wolves rounded the corner, teeth bared before they rushed towards him. 

~~~~

Rika stumbled her way through the alleys. She wasn’t sure how far she ran but just as she was beginning to run out of strength before she found what she was desperately looking for, a group of her father’s men. 

“Dean!!!” She cried, stumbling as her body faltered, the men all turned towards her before they rushed to her side. 

“Rika! Why are you here? What happened to you?” One of the men asked, trying to pick Rika up before she fought to her feet.

“Please, follow me! You have to hurry,” Rika turned, running off again, hoping that she wasn’t too late to save him, that Riley would still be breathing when she reached him. Thankfully the men followed her and soon she found where she had started, the ground soaked with blood. She searched before she spotted him, leaning against a wall, covered in blood and two dead wolves laying near him. She knelt next to Riley, relieved to see he was still breathing but he was in bad shape. He had a deep bite to the throat and several claw marks running down his chest alongside at least half a dozen other bites.

“Rika, get away from him, that’s Riley O’Brian!” One of the men pulled her away as she was trying to put pressure against the bite on his throat. She glared at the man, his piercing blue eyes staring back into her emerald green. 

“Dean, help him. That’s an order,” Rika growled, continuing to glare at him before he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

“Fine but I’m not taking the fall for this. This kid,” He pointed to Riley, “Is a killer. Well trained and ready to fight.”

“And he got me here,” Rika added, her voice cold as she willed as much strength into it as she could. 

Dean sighed, admitting defeat, “Pick up the shit, let’s go before he bleeds out.” Dean picked Rika up, as she leaned against him, her energy was waning. She tried to remain awake but found that it was impossible given her state. She was glad to be going home, going to be safe from the men that harmed her. Glad to put everything behind her and more than ready to forget the pain and heartache that she had endured the last few days. Relief washed over her like a wave, soothing away her pain as she drifted off.

~~~~

Riley opened his eyes, the room was bright even though the lights were not turned on, but it seemed the light coming from the next room was enough to bother his eyes. His head was killing him and when he tried to reach his forehead, his hand stopped short. He looked to his hand to find it was handcuffed to the bed, his other hand was cuffed as well. Panic welled up within him, he had no idea where he was and the fact that he was tied down filled him with dread of what was going to happen. Had his father found him? Dragged him back to let him heal just to beat him once he had recovered?

His answer walked through the open door, an angry scowl covering the man’s face. He looked at Riley before a somewhat pleased smirk crossed his lips briefly, “Well, at least you can’t kill anyone tied down like that.”

Riley hissed at the man, trying to get free, “So this is where you ran off to Dean? How is your new owner?”

“Owner? Hah! Nah kid, I’m free,” Dean grinned as he leaned against the door frame. Riley looked at his clothes, he was wearing a dark blue jacket and a black undershirt with black pants alongside what looked to be heavy work boots. 

“How did you manage that?”

“I ran into someone who helps people trapped below get free.”

Riley stared at him as the information processed in his mind, “The only person that does that is…”

“Matt Pitt currently,” Dean finished, “Anyway, why did you help Rika. Isn’t your father interested in getting some sort of leverage on Matt?”

“I’m sure but he has said nothing to me and I don’t care, I’m not the golden kid.”

“Oh, so your brother won?”

“Won? I think my father put us in a ring just so my brother could have the pleasure of beating the shit out of me. He doesn’t like me, tells me that constantly. I’m just an unwanted kid from a spoiled bitch.” Riley managed to sit up, moving his one good ankle as he examined the room. “So…. where the hell am I? And ummm, how am I not dead?”

“Oh you can thank Taichi for that, he is currently talking with the police about you and Rika. You have some nasty wounds.” 

Riley raised an eyebrow in mild confusion, “Is that surprising?”

“It’s… the type of injuries.”

“Oh, right. You have been gone for what two years? I have been getting passed around… to anyone loyal to my dad,” Riley muttered, disgust covering his face.

Dean stared at him as it sunk in, “That man is a piece of work.”

Riley glanced up at him, “No, I never would have guessed. Anyway, how long am I going to be tied here?”

Dean pointed to some bags hanging by Riley, “You lost a lot of blood so you have to finish your ivs and whatever else Taichi says before you are allowed out of that bed. Besides, you might feel okay but I can promise that once you stand up, you're going to feel like shit if not pass out.” 

Riley looked at the bags before sighing, “Okay. Once that is done I can leave right?”

Dean gave Riley an odd look, “Leave? And go where?”

“Well if I don’t head back, the chip in my neck will explode and I-” Riley stopped as Dean covered his face with a hand.

“That issue has been fixed. They found the chip and got it out. Charles is known for chipping people so that was one of the first things that was checked after your blood pressure was stable and it was clear you were not going to die,” Dean looked at Riley again before looking over his shoulder, out of the room.

Riley just stared, unable to believe he was free of that chip, the one thing that made it impossible for him to run away, but he wasn’t sure he could trust these people, much less Dean. He knew Dean served a rival of his father before he disappeared and there was no way that Riley would believe his words blindly, not when his life was on the line. “I don’t believe you.”

“Oh good, means you’re not a total idiot,” Dean snickered. Riley wanted to punch the man in the face but he couldn’t move from his spot so he just glared back. “Oh, you look soooo scary right now,” Dean laughed, “I mean you are cuffed to a bed and still think you can give someone a dirty look? I take back my comment on you not being totally stupid. You are clearly very dumb.”

Riley growled before Dean was shoved away from the door and farther into the room, “Enough, stop trying to antagonize him.” Riley stared at the new man entering the room, his clothes were the same as Dean’s but he was taller and had light brown hair. He turned to look at Riley, his eyes reminded him of Rika’s, a vibrant emerald green. Riley wondered if Rika’s were just as bright when she wasn’t in pain and sick. “I’m Matt Pitt. Rika said you helped her get home.” Riley nodded, “Good. So can I ask why? I know your father hates me.”

Riley blinked for a moment before he sighed, “Have you asked dick wad what my relationship with my father is?” 

“Hey,” Dean growled.

“Oh I’m sorry, was that too complex for your precious ears to understand? Has being free allowed you to forget the pain of being stuck under someone’s thumb?” Riley was becoming very annoyed. He was stuck on a bed with people he either didn’t know or really didn’t like, neither one making him comfortable and together they just made him testy and on edge.

“Okay, Dean, leave, it’s clear you are not helping,” Matt ordered and much to Riley’s surprise, Dean left the room without a word. He didn’t know that Dean could listen without being threatened and it was an odd scene to witness. Matt then turned to look back at Riley, “Answer my question. Why did you help her? And how did you run into her.”

Riley shifted on the bed, looking to his hands and pulling on the cuffs. He wasn’t sure how to answer or what kind of answer Matt was looking for. He didn’t help her for any real reason other than the fact she needed help and he was there. What if that wasn’t a good enough answer for the man, what if behind closed doors Matt was the same kind of animal every other adult Riley knew was. He looked up to Matt, “I’m… not sure how to answer. I… I don’t really have an answer. I didn’t know you needed a reason to help someone that clearly needed help.”

Whatever reaction Riley was expecting, he was surprised as Matt sighed and visibly relaxed, walking over to him and sitting down on a chair that was near the bed. He was too close for Riley’s comfort but Matt didn’t move so he assumed he was safe for the moment. “Well, if you had to alterior motive then I guess that’s good enough, assuming you answered truthfully.”

“Lying has never done me any good before and I can’t imagine it would start helping now.” That got a chuckle out of Matt, “So… Is she okay? Rika I mean. She was in pretty bad shape when I found her and I know she was in worse shape when she ran for safety.”

“Well she is in rough shape but she will heal, not without a few scars though,” Matt’s expression become one of anger and pain, “She told us what happened and to be honest I’d love a chance to beat the shit out of the men that harmed her but there is little I can do from here.”

“It wouldn’t do you any good,” Riley muttered, staring at his hands, “Those men.... The ones that attacked her aren’t afraid of being killed so long as they can enjoy themselves. To them, the risk is always worth the reward. I am willing to bet they let her go after they finished round one with the intent of chasing her down and raping her again. Though what I don’t understand is why, Rika has a high price on her head. If they had brought her back unharmed she would have sold for a rather large sum of money. Course whoever bought her would have likely done even crueler things to her.” 

Matt shifted in his chair as he stared at Riley, “What do you mean a high price?”

Riley turned to look at him, “Oh right, um, well you are hated for interfering with the residents of the lower city and because of that, they all kinda want to get a hold of her to.. Get even with you. I’m sure my father wants to catch her as well but for what reason I can’t guess, or rather I’d rather not guess.”

Matt sighed, “Alright then, once Taichi clears you to move around, you will be sharing a room with Dean. He is going to keep an eye on you since he knows you.”

“Knows me? He knows of me,” Riley growled, Dean was the last person he wanted to be stuck with but he also understood.

“Oh, he told me plenty about you, about how you have killed more than a few people and so I’m not keen on letting you have free reign here. I have no doubt that you can be dangerous, it’s hard to kill one wolf with a gun, never mind two with a pair of crap daggers and an injured leg. You're strong and that’s dangerous to my men. I’m letting you stay because Rika wants me to help you, she said that you're worth the time but I have my doubts.”

Riley watched him before Matt stood up to leave the room, “Taichi will be in to check on you, once he is done Dean will show you to your room. I have to make some calls. I’ll come see you once you're settled in your room with what we are going to do with you.” Matt walked out the door, leaving Riley alone. He looked to the cuffs that held him in place and sighed. He wanted to be released of them but given that Matt didn’t trust him, asking would have gotten him nowhere.

He signed as he sat there wondering how long he would have to wait before someone else walked into the room. This person was a kid that seemed close to Riley`s age and he had light blonde hair and was fairly short, thin with deep black circles around his eyes. The kid looked like he never slept and with his pale skin tone and white lab coat, it only made the bags more prominent. His eyes were a light shade of hazel which also stood out against the dark circles.

"Hi Riley, how are you feeling after talking to Matt and Dean? Neither one of them seem very fond of you but I would have figured after you dragged Rika back, Matt would have been more open minded. Though giving your reputation I guess I can understand," Taichi sat down in the chair that Matt had been using, "So if you don't mind I have to check you over and change your bandages. I have to say you healed oddly fast. Even without my help, somehow I don't think your bites would have been life threatening." Taichi grinned with clear amusement and interest in how it was possible for someone to be so badly injured and not need medical intervention. Riley couldn't explain it himself but it was something he had also noticed. His wounds always seemed to heal quickly with little to no help, he scarred a lot of the time but he also survived wounds that otherwise should have been lethal.

Riley watched as Taichi worked on his bandages, getting to see the bites that he had received from his fight with the pack of wolves. "So how many did you fight off anyway?" Riley looked at him before he tried to think about how many wolves had attacked him.

"I think I saw four but I could be wrong. It was pretty touch and go there while I was fighting. I don't remember killing two of them, I also don't remember being found either though," Riley shifted on the bed as Taichi released one of the handcuffs and began to remove the bandages on his arm. The flesh was very red and swollen but it wasn't the worst wound he had seen on himself. Want ever Taichi was rubbing on his arm felt nice and cooling, he could feel the heat from his wound dissipating as it spread over the bites. “What are you rubbing on it, it feels really cold.”

“Oh is it too cold? I can add less if it bothers you,” Taichi stopped working as he looked at Riley, clearly concerned that he was causing him discomfort.

“Oh, I didn’t mean that I didn’t like it, I like it but I was just wondering what you were using.”

“Gotcha, so it’s a numbing gel that I like to use on really sore injuries, it works well for cuts, scrapes, burns and several other wounds that are open. It helps keep infection at bay while also promoting healthy tissue growth and it also reduces the chance of scarring as well. Of course based on the looks of you, it would be hard to tell a new scar from an old one huh." Taichi signed as he started working again, Riley was rather surprised at how gentle he was being. It was off for him to be treated with any kindness and he found he rather liked it.

"So why are you a doctor, you look younger than me."

"Oh HAH! That's a good question, I have been studying to be a doctor since I was pretty young. I didn't really want to be one when I was little but after meeting Matt I decided to finish schools and get my license. He has done a lot to help me. This is just my way of repaying it. I'm a pretty decent doctor if I say so myself."

"I guess so...I haven't met many but you remind me of someone, I just can't remember who. I know I didn't like him though," Riley shifted again, he was quite uncomfortable, " Any chance I again get up and stretch my legs? I'm getting really sore sitting here." Taichi seemed to think about it before he released the other handcuffs.

"You can't leave this room or the next one but once you have stretched, I want to do the scratches on your chest and back. Your arms seem to be healing really well. I wonder how long it will take, " Taichi chuckled as he moved out of the way as Riley moved to stand up and stretched before walking out of the room and into the connecting room. It was a rather large area with several tables and a wall lined with monitors and a nice and plush chair. The room was very bright and covered in white; it seemed like an odd choice. He walked around the room for a while until the cramping in his body fading and he felt more relaxed. He noticed that he was being watched by Taichi and he found it a bit unnerving.

"So why is this room so bright? I can't imagine it would be easy to keep clean," Riley looked around, finding the room was rather empty as well. 

"It is now since we have started moving everything onto the ship that Matt is building. We are set to take off in two months I think. I heard the lottery had started and then once that is done we need to assign people rooms and make sure all families that are boarding have everything needed. Oddly we have had no issues with people trying to break in, course I guess it's known that half of Matt's crew are well trained gunmen," Taichi laughed as he walked over to Riley, once standing Riley realized that Taichi was fair but shorter than him. 

"Where is Matt planning to go? I didn't think there was anywhere to go on earth anymore." 

"True, we are planning to head to a new planet," Taichi grinned.

Riley stared at him before he tried to figure out what that meant. "Humans can do that?" He had never heard of such a thing and it seemed amazing. "How do you do something like that."

"Oh well maybe once Matt decides to trust you he can explain it for you. I'm not good with that stuff though Rika could explain it too because she helps her dad. I'm just a smart kid doc, nothing more to me."

Riley felt he was lying but he had no reason to argue. He was from outside and so he had no right to speak. He had lied as well, he had no reason to tell them everything he knew and had no reason to trust them either. "That's fine, I guess I can ask Dean later provided we don't kill one another."

Taichi chuckled, "Please don't. We need him around here. I know he is a dick but his heart is in the right place. After Rika went missing, he looked day and night, trying to see who had issued the order to grab her.” Taichi walked over to Riley and grinned wider, “If you play your cards right and get Dean on your side we might be able to talk Matt into taking you with us if you want.”

“I haven’t decided to trust Matt yet, or any of you really, I haven’t seen a reason for that,” Riley muttered as he watched Taichi, unsure of his boy before him. It was also driving him mad that he couldn’t place why this kid reminded him of someone. He knew it was someone he hated but beyond that he had no idea. The man was likely someone that worked for his father, someone that made his skin crawl.

“I get that, anyhow let’s finish your bandage change. Given how fast you’re healing, I think after tomorrow, you will be able to leave them open with no issues aside maybe the bite to your throat,” Taichi grabbed Riley’s hand, dragging him back to the room they had just left, “Please remove your shirt, I’m going to grab more of the gel.” Taichi left quickly as Riley pulled the shirt over his head. His shoulders were stiff and quite sore, something he hadn’t noticed yet. “Well, now that you're not covered in blood, you're a much nicer looking guy than before. Need to put on a bit of weight but overall you have a good strong build. No wonder you can fight so well.” Riley eyed Taichi as he was stared at by the young doctor.

“Okay well hurry up, I don’t like the way you are staring at me. I’m not here for your entertainment.” Riley hissed, this was something he didn’t like about other people, being stared at so intently, it made his skin crawl.

Taichi seemed to blush slightly at the comment before he chuckled, “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.” Taichi quickly finished his work which Riley was happy for. He was done with being touched. Once the task was finished, Taichi left the room, and Riley growled as he slipped his shirt back on and walked back into the main room. He looked around again before he heard a door open and Dean walked in.

“Hey shit head, all set?”

“Shit head? Why would you be so rude to yourself like that,” Riley muttered, before giving Dean a glare, “So, where am I sleeping?”

Dean walked over to Riley, grabbing an arm and dragging him from the room. Riley offered little resistance as he was led away. Riley glanced around as he was led down several halls before they entered a decent sized room with an airbed on the floor with sheets, a small pile of clothes and a few pillows. Dean released Riley’s arm and let him walk around the room, “Where are my daggers?”

“In the trash, both were broken after your fight,” Dean sat on his bed as he watched Riley, “Once you're done we can get something to eat if you're interested.”

“What’s the price of food?”

Dean raised an eyebrow in confusion, “Price?”

“Yeah, what do you want from me? I’m not interested in-”

“Okay okay, slow it down,” Dean hastily raised a hand, “No one here is going to ask for those kinds of favors from you here. This place is filled with people that aren’t messed up monsters. You won’t have to deal with it anymore.”

Riley gave Dean a look that showed his lack of belief in the statement. “You understand how hard that is to believe.”

“Yes, I have heard what your father uses you for… and who he lets use you.” Dean growled, clearly sickened at the idea, “I keep an ear down below, it works well to keep track of the moves. I have been able to stop a few attacks on this place.”

“So you are the guard dog?”

“It’s something that I do by choice, I haven’t been asked. Matt might actually be mad if he knew,” Dean laughed, “He has done so much for me since I got here. Taught me how to do something other than fight, gave me a skill that I could use to live an honest life and what’s more, he gave me a future of my own choice. I’m not bound to stay here. I can leave if I wish and work somewhere else.”

Riley listened, finding Dean words had more truth to them then he spoke. He knew that as someone who was forced to suffer in the lower city, his trust was hard to earn and to hear that Dean was doing something that could risk him being trapped again just to guard the man that set him free spoke more than anything else. “So, what you are saying is that Matt is someone actually worth my trust?”

“Perhaps but it’s a two way street, you have to earn his as well.”

“Figured that already, anyhow, food?”

“Right, let’s go.” Dean stood and left the room Riley followed him as closely as he dared while he watched everything around him. “Chill kid.” Riley shot him a quick glare and sighed.

“Easy for you to say.”

Dean chuckled, “True, I had a hard time at first too.”


	2. Struggling with the world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well., here is chapter two. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment on any errors you might notice.

Riley laid on the air mattress, pulling the blanket close to him as he tried to fall asleep. He was finding it hard to sleep in a place he was unfamiliar with. His mind kept wandering to thoughts he wanted to keep buried, nightmares that he had survived. It was driving him mad with paranoia, fearing that if he slept, someone would attack him. When sleep finally came, it was restless and full of terror, his father had found him and began to beat him for not returning when he was supposed to. As punishment he was tossed into a pit with starving wolves and a broken blade. He had to fight to live, win to live, live to suffer more pain in a desperate hope of running away. A hope he believed was fruitless, one that would only cause him more pain, but it was all he had. 

Riley tossed and turned as he fought the monsters in his dreams, crying out in pain as he felt searing hot fangs tear into him, time and again. He screamed as one tore at an old poorly healed wound on his thigh, ripping open the scarred flesh as he struggled with all his might to be free, finally killing the last wolf. Collapsing into a bleed heap on the floor, chest heaving as he caught his breath and tried to bury the pain. It was something he was used to, something he was forced to endure over and over again when he misbehaved but even so, that didn’t make the pain any less hard to handle.

When Riley woke up in the morning, he was drenched in sweat from his nightmare and he felt his body was burning. He tried to move but stopped, something felt off and he felt very ill. He groaned as he forced himself to sit up, the room spun before he felt something touch his forehead. He wanted to move away or push it away but he had little strength and all of it was being used to keep him upright. “One nasty fever, you always have them after having a nightmare?” Riley turned to the voice, through his blurry vision he could make out Dean. He looked concerned though Riley was sure that was a trick of mind, this man hated him.

“No… I just don’t feel too great but it will pass, always does,” Riley muttered, his throat was dry and stuck together as he tried to swallow, realizing that he hadn’t once since he got up. It was painful at first but after a few tries, the pain lessened.

“Well, I’ll go get Taichi, he should be able to do something about it.” Dean moved his hand away, standing but Riley grabbed his leg to stop him.

“Don’t bother, I’ll be fine, this normally happens after I get bit by wolves, I’ll be fine by the end of the day, I just need sleep.” Riley knew he didn’t sound convincing but was relieved when Dean didn’t pull away.

“Fine, I’ll go and get you something hot to drink and eat. Lay back down, I will also get something for that fever because that is a problem. Do you need to have your bandages changed again?”

Riley flopped back down, pulling his blankets back around him, they were soaked like him and he shivered, “I don’t remember. Could I get a fresh blanket? It seems I soaked everything… sorry.”

Dean sighed but to Riley’s surprise, it didn’t sound annoyed, more concerned if he had to guess. “Yeah, I’ll get a fresh set of sheets and I’ll call Taichi to see what to do about your bandages, if they are infected and causing the fever then you will have to deal with him, if not maybe after some food you can shower while I change the bed.” Riley nodded, he wasn’t sure if Dean saw though, he was already drifting back off to sleep. It felt like he got no rest at all the night before and now all he could think about was the sweet relief of sleep. He vaguely heard the door before he gave in to the desires of his body. 

When he next woke, it was to Dean shaking him, though somehow this didn’t scare Riley. Either he was too tired to care or he knew the man wouldn’t harm him, he wasn’t sure though. He smelled the food, his stomach growling loudly as Dean helped Riley sit up. He would have expected Dean to make fun of him for soaking the bed with sweat but the man made no complaints, no teasing gestures. He was gentle as he passed a bowl to Riley, “This is oatmeal, kinda boring but it’s easy on the stomach and also doesn’t need to be chewed so I thought it might be a good idea.” Riley nodded before he started in; it was an odd food but he enjoyed it. The taste was better than anything he was used to eating and it felt nice on his throat as he swallowed it down. Once Riley had finished the bowl, Dean took it and passed him a cup of something that was steaming. “This is herbal tea, should help with the sore throat that I’m sure you have.” 

Riley looked at him with a confused expression, “Why do you think I have a sore throat?”

“Maybe because you cried and screamed all night,” Dean gave Riley a pitying look, something that, oddly, made his blood boil. “Can’t say I blame you, been there, done that myself so I know how much that sucks.”

The comment made Riley calm, if just a little, as he sipped on the cup of tea. “Is that why you’re being so nice?”

Dean laughed but it seemed to be more out of sadness then any form of happiness, “Maybe? For some reason I had you pegged as a kid who was unable to really feel fear or terror, though having watched you last night, I saw a lot of it in you. I do believe every time I saw you, your father had you in a fighting ring, set to fight to the death with something or someone. So I had just assumed he had killed off most of your emotions.”

“He did try,” Riley shifted slightly, the cold was nipping at his skin as he remembered he was soaked, “He liked training me like a dog. Beating me over and over again until I stopped reacting, then he would move it up a notch and repeat until I just stopped reacting to pain at all.”

“Hmmm, that had to be hard to deal with.”

Riley nodded, “It was more frightening than anything else. I never knew what he was going to use for it. Once I reached whatever he was looking for, he started having me service men that wanted something to toy with. I guess my selling point was that I could take a lot of pain. To be honest, I’m kinda amazed I still have all my body parts. For some reason, I heal really quick and it takes a lot to really hurt me. Taichi said that I would have survived that wolf attack without his help.”

This seemed to startle Dean as he stared at Riley with an intense gaze, “What? You were bleeding so much and the bite to your throat should have been lethal.”

Riley nodded again, “Yes and Taichi said it was healing by the time he helped me. I have never really suffered from blood loss, even with the worst wounds I have had, with heavy blood loss… I haven’t died. I don’t know why but I assume it has to do with one of the doctors my father has. For a while I was used for drug testing, though he never told me what they were looking for.”

“Okay… well, it looks like we need to talk with Matt about this, and the police, but first, shower and bandages. Taichi said you should be fine to take a shower just be cautious of any open wounds and if anything looks red or swollen,” Dean pulled a squeeze bottle out of a bag, “Put this on it and bandage the area loosely.” 

Riley nodded as he downed the last of the tea and tried to stand, Dean ended up helping him to his feet before Riley made his way into the bathroom alone. He couldn’t remember the last time he took a proper shower but he was looking forward to it. He quickly stripped and removed his bandages, taking a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He was pleasantly surprised at the fact that all his wounds seemed to be mostly healed and the bite to the throat seemed to be leaving no scars. He was glad because he was tired of being scarred. He soon turned to the shower and turned on the water, hopping into the burning water, enjoying the feeling as the water washed away what tension he had. 

He scrubbed himself thoroughly before he stepped out and dried off. He wrapped the towel around himself before he stepped out into the room, his bed was changed and a pile of clothes sitting on it. Riley grabbed the clothes and quickly slipped them on, then flopped into the bed and curled up under the blankets. He was still tired and figured he could rest more. His bites looked fine and he felt they didn’t need to be dressed. He yawned before falling asleep, hoping for a restful nap. 

When Riley woke from his nap, he stretched before sitting up. He looked around and found the room was still empty. He felt far better then he had earlier and made it to his feet without difficulty. He slipped on some shoes and left the room, wondering where he should go to find Dean. He was surprised to know the man that was watching him had left him alone but he soon heard someone coming down the hall. It was Dean and Matt, they both seemed to be talking and Matt looked upset. Riley wondered why but when they spotted him standing in the hall, Matt smiled. 

“Seems you're feeling better.”

“Yeah, just out of curiosity, how long have I been here?” 

“Ah… right,” Matt seemed to think for a moment before looking at Riley again, “You were out for three days before you woke up so this makes day five. Anyway, I’m sorry but you can’t wander around by yourself. If you want to walk around, you will have to have Dean with you.”

“So…. I stay in my room unless I’m with Dean?”

“Yes, until we are certain what’s happening with you. Once things are cleared up, we can reevaluate things.” 

Riley frowned before turning and going back into the room, he didn’t know what to do if he was left alone in a room. He was used to training in some fashion, not sitting on his ass. He heard Dean and Matt follow him in as he flopped onto his bed. “I'm sorry if this is hard for you Riley but I have to think about everyone’s safety.”

“Funny, who’s safety? Mine or yours?”

“Both, believe it or not, having someone wandering around my shipyard is rather dangerous, I’d rather not see you get caught up in some machine because you ended up somewhere you shouldn’t have been.”

“Gotcha, I’ll… just sleep till you send me away.”

Matt huffed, “I haven’t-”

“Enough, I don’t want to be lied to. I know you don’t want me here, just let me leave and I’ll head back. You won’t have to worry about me.”

“Riley-”

“Matt, that’s enough, leave him be,” Dean interjected, “I’ll keep an eye on him.” 

“Okay, I’ll leave then.” Riley heard the door open but didn’t bother to look. “I’m sorry Riley, Matt is…”

“You don’t like me either so don’t act like you care,” Riley growled as he pulled the blanket over his head.

“I can’t say I do but I also can’t say I don’t. I understand why you refuse to trust anyone, I won’t pressure you but understand I don’t hate you. Not anymore anyway, you have shown me a lot of who you are. I want to see who you are freed from the pain of your father. I’m interested in seeing the real you,” Dean sat on his bed, Riley turning to look at him.

“I don’t see why?”

“Because I changed a lot once Matt got me out, I’m sure you will too. Now if you want to stop throwing this fit, I would like to show you around some of the shipyard.”

Riley stared at him for a minute as he decided, he was confused by Dean’s statement but given his limited knowledge of the world, he knew plenty of things would go over his head. He sighed before sitting up and nodding, "Fine, show me around. I'm really bored, I'm not used to having to sit still. I am always doing something."

Dean chuckled, "I know that feeling too. I'm sure we can find something for you to do while I am working. Maybe get you something to read."

Riley stared at Dean with a blank expression. "Is someone gonna teach me how to read properly? I can read enough to get around places but I'm not sure I could manage a book without help."

Dean sat there a moment before he stood up, "I'm sure I can give you a crash course tonight once we are done with the tour. Rika might have some books that we can use too." He smiled before leading the way out of the building, Riley followed closely, glad to be out of the room. He had stopped once they walked outside and just stood in the sun, letting it warm his skin. It was something he wasn't used to and it was so very comforting to feel. He was sad when Dean pulled him along to continue with the tour. "If you want to just run around outside, I can do something about that now but it will only be with me sadly. Taichi could help but you don't like him so clearly that won't work and Rika is on bed rest."

"That doesn't surprise me at all given how beat up she was," Riley muttered as he followed along. Everything was clean and well organized, the workers walking around, chatting with one another. A few gave him a glance as they passed by but no one really seemed bothered by him. “So, does everyone here know who I am?”

Dean quickly glanced over his shoulder before looking ahead once more, “Yeah, I’m sure most of them do. I was complaining pretty hard when we brought you here.”

“Oh… Yeah, guess that makes sense.” Riley oddly felt hurt at the statement, he knew people would dislike him but it still hurt to have pointed out to him. 

Dean seemed to notice, “Sorry.”

“Nothing new,” Riley sighed, he was going to have to get used to this, to feeling something other than fear and pain. He was glad to have the option but it didn’t make sorrow hurt any less… or rejection. He found it almost frustrating how emotionally stunted he knew he was. Riley hoped he could figure things out fairly quickly because if he had the chance, he wanted to be a normal kid. 

“Soooooooo,” Dean called his attention away from his thoughts, “Want to see the ship we are building?” He turned with a grin, leaving Riley shocked, it seemed like a real smile directed at him, something he didn’t see much or really ever. He nodded, “Great, I’m sure you will have a ball.” Dean quickened their pace as they walked away from the group of buildings. Riley hadn’t noticed the ship before but once he did, he wondered how he missed it. “It’s able to house half the city’s population.” 

“It’s really cool looking, I haven’t seen anything like this before, how does something so large fly?” Riley looked over the large ship, noticing it had large clear sections that ran along the sides, rimmed with black lines. The ship’s main color was a deep crimson red. “Those large clear areas that seem to have caught your attention are windows, they are made out of transparent aluminum, it’s a light and strong metal. Works great for this.”

“Oh,” Riley didn’t know what he was talking about but it sounded cool.

“Yeah, those sections are three floors tall and that is where all the rooms on board are. So everyone will be able to watch the stars as we travel to our new home.”

“Are you excited to leave?”

Dean looked at Riley with a small smile, “Honestly, I’m more scared than anything else but given how shitty this place is, I’d take the risk of death over living here.”

Riley chuckled, “I can understand that. I guess it’s an easy choice, live here in hell or risk a better new life. I’d rather risk it myself, course I think I am… and maybe everyone else is too with me being here.” 

“Well, honestly, once the police get involved, your father will be unable to touch you.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“They will be here tomorrow to speak with you. They were supposed to be here today but I told Matt you needed a day to rest and recover.”

“Why?”

“Because you didn’t sleep last night, I didn’t think it’d be healthy for you,” Dean shrugged, “So anyways let's head inside.” Dean grinned again and led the way up a ramp towards the back of the ship, Riley stared in amazement at the large engines on the back of the ship and now he could see the line of engines on the underside of the ship as well. They entered a large room filled with large metal containers, “This is the cargo hold, connects to the shuttles and escape ships. Though with any luck we won’t need them.” Riley walked into the other room, looking at all the ships. 

They were all different styles, some looked small but likely fast, while others were large. He saw varying types of machines in the room as well, Dean explained them to him, not enough for him to totally understand but he got the basics down. They then worked their way through the crew levels. Several rooms were set up for exercising with different setups to each room. Riley’s favorite room was called a green space, the room had grass and other plants in it, some of them were trees which Riley had never seen before. 

Riley ran around the rest of the crew floors, by the time they finished, Riley was exhausted and he felt great. He was ready to eat and sleep but Dean planned to help him with reading so he had something to do when he was stuck in their room. Riley stuffed his face when they reached the cafeteria, he was starving and just filled his plate with whatever food looked good, which thankfully it all did. Dean laughed at him as he shoved the food in. “Slow down, the food isn’t going anywhere.”

“Good point,” Riley slowed down for the last bit on his plate, “So, what am I gonna read?”

“Hmm?” Dean had just taken a bite of food, quickly downing the mouthful, “Right, I got some books from Rika, we are going to see what you understand and where you stand with your reading, once we get that figured out I plan to get you more books that are better reads.”

“Cool, I don’t know how long I’ll stay awake though, I’m pretty tired,” Riley yawned, finishing his last bite before dumping his plate in the bin for dirty dishes. “I’m gonna go shower.” Dean nodded before Riley left the room, returning to their bedroom, grabbing clothes and taking a long, hot shower. It was great to help ease the soreness he felt after running for so long. When he returned to the main part of the room, Dean was sitting on his bed with a small pile of books next to him.

“Your hair is soaked, bring me a towel,” Dean chuckled, Riley brought him the towel and Dean motioned for him to sit on the floor, he handed Riley a small book with a large print, “So, see how far you can get in this book. I’ll dry your hair while you do so.” 

“Okay,” Riley took the book and started reading as Dean worked on his soaked hair. He thought the story was very silly but since it was the first book he had read before, the story didn’t really matter. He looked to Dean as the man finished with his task, “I got through it, it’s a dumb story though.”

“Yeah well it’s a book for little kids, I picked it because it would be easy for you to read, not because it was a good read,” Dean took the book and passed Riley another one, “This one is another silly one but its a higher reading level.” Riley took the new book and began to read it as well, he had to ask what a few words were as he had never heard them nor could figure out what they were but aside those hookups, he read the book through. He was pleased with himself for doing so well with books and he managed to make it through two more books before he had to stop more than a few times to make it through the first few pages. “So, you are somewhere around a sixth grade level. That’s not too bad actually and I can get you quite a few good reads to kill time with.”

Riley smiled before he crawled onto his bed and burrowed under the covers, “Thanks.” He shifted as he settled in for the night, “So, the police… are they going to get mad at me if I tell them everything that I have been forced to do by my father?”

“Hmm, that’s a good question, I mean, they might have an issue with people that you have been forced to kill but honestly, you did it to keep yourself alive so there are laws for self preservation. They are used a lot when people are rescued from the lower parts of the city. Those laws saved my ass when I came here so I’m sure they will do the same for you, it’s clear that it bothers you so don’t worry about it. I already told Matt that I would go with you to the station if they decide to take you for questioning. You won’t be alone tomorrow.”

Riley sighed with relief, “Okay then.” The lights were turned off, causing Riley to jump, “Um, can you leave that on till I’m asleep?”

Dean turned the light back on before walking over to Riley’s bed, “Scared of the dark?”

“Sometimes, mostly when I’m nervous, if I really messed something up, it wasn’t uncommon for me to get locked up in a dark place,” Riley shivered slightly before he felt Dean sit on his bed and place a hand on his head.

“Gotcha, well what if I sat here till you fell asleep?”

“I still want the light on.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t going to turn it off, you already made your reason known, I was asking if me sitting here helps with the nerves.”

Riley pulled the covers away from his face and looked at Dean, “Oh… maybe. I… I don’t know really?”

Dean chuckled lightly, “Well then tell me if I need to move then kid, get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.” Dean ruffled Riley’s hair, soon finding the gentle touch was easing him to sleep, it wasn’t long before Riley was in a deep sleep, dead to the world. Thankfully, he had no nightmares that night, just a long and restful sleep, something Riley didn’t know he could have. 

~~~

Riley woke with a start that morning, as someone shook him from his sleep. He looked to see it was Matt, “The police are here, I’m sorry but they said that they need to take you to the station. Dean is getting changed so, please get dressed and get ready to go.” Riley yawned before he sat up, stretching and standing as he grabbed clothes before he entered the bathroom. He changed quickly before he met Matt outside the room and followed him down the halls. The group of police was four men, all of which seemed friendly but something about them seemed off to him. Their presence was something he was used to and he didn’t like the feeling that gnawed at his stomach.

Matt spoke with the men before he was called away for something work related, “I’ll see you later Riley, Dean should be here shortly” Riley nodded before he walked over to the men, he tried to smile but his stomach twisted painfully as he neared them. Something wasn’t right but he didn’t know what it was. He was thinking it was because they were men that he didn’t know and he had to leave with them but his gut said it was so much more.

“Morning kiddo,” One of the officers smiled, placing a hand on Riley’s shoulder, his grip was strong and sent chills down his spine. Riley tried to back away before another officer walked and patted him on the head.

“Heard you have had a rough time with things, glad to see you found somewhere safe.”

Riley’s nerves became almost unbearable before much to his horror, the men began to drag him towards a large car. He tried to get away but someone grabbed his arm and dragged him back. His fear choked off his voice as he tried to get someone’s attention, he struggled as much as he could but soon found himself tossed into the car. Riley tried to open the door but the men all loaded into the car. Riley managed to scream but it was too late, the car was moving and he was too far to be heard. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he rested his head on the door, shivering because he knew where he was going. His father had gotten his hands on him, that’s why his stomach screamed to run, but it was too late, he will never get away again. More than likely, his death waited for him at the end of this car ride. He found himself thinking it was nice to have had a small chance, however brief, to be a kid, to be free. He only wanted it to be longer.


End file.
